Uber Will Be Allowed To Continue Operating In London

Uber will allowed to continue operating in London.  For years, Uber has tussled with Transport for London, the major regulatory agency for car transport in the UK city.  Uber has been on a series of shorter extensions of their license.  They’ve been seeking a 5-year license in London.  Back in November of last year they had lost a ruling to extend their license, though they filed an appeal. Now, they’ve won that appeal.

Uber Wins Transport For London Appeal

Uber announced this morning that it had been granted an 18-month license, subject to a number of conditions involving rider safety.  From the comments released by Transport for London, it’s clear the issue is far from settled:

“We note the Court has found that Uber is now fit and proper to hold a private hire operator’s licence in London. As a result of our decision in November last year Uber has implemented a number of changes to improve passenger safety and address the issues we identified. This 18 month licence with a number of conditions allows us to closely monitor Uber’s adherence to the regulations and to swiftly take action if they fail to meet the required standards.”

Uber is still fighting a battle in the UK as to whether drivers are employees of the company or self-employed contractors.  That decision is still pending before the courts.

The Final Two Pennies

London is a very important market for Uber and is sure to be a financial boon for the company as the COVID-19 crisis wanes. The pending decision as to whether their drivers are employees or not is one they face in other important jurisdictions around the world.  While they wait for that decision, they have, for now appeared to make progress towards a more stable operating relationship with regulators in London.

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